doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Catching the dreaded Pin-Fire Disease

Purdey circa 1860 with grip safety, cased with accessories.

Man, that Purdey has killer wood.

Really nice and fairly early - don't believe Purdey took an order for a center-break gun before 1858, perhaps 1859. Must cost a bit more than $1,300. . Curious about the underlever. Is this a Jones underlever - double bite? His patent lapsed 19 Sep 1862 so there may be a PUN on the gun somewhere. Or is it the Beringer style single bite under-the-guard lever with a rising bite on the action flats?

The Purdey has a pre Jones single bite action. Click to enlarge image.

So totally interesting and precise technology. beautiful. Thanks!

Just to link this to Steve Nash's historic pin-fire line, a photo was posted there of the Purdey lumps from c1860 and the Reilly lumps from this gun cDec 1857. Interesting. Look how more sophisticated the Purdey is. That might be due to the excellence of Purdey or to the natural advancement of the gun. We might learn more by such comparisons.
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No doubt that the Purdey is outstanding and a collector's piece to be preserved. But it's also a researcher's lode-stone in a way. . .each one of these early guns marking an evolution of UK center-break technology.

(Now get Purdey to give a date for that gun. . .Nick will say the records are "locked up," meaning not legally but that there is a physical keyed 19th C. lock on them, which somehow cannot be penetrated by 21st century technology.)


(Oh well...Uk does still have elves and trolls and ogres and wood nymphs, long barrows, stone circles, Vikings, Saxons, Prince Valiant. . (et et. mon dieu - les Francais - Guillaume!) .so much moss and mushrooms and so much romance and ethereal mythology, our history too, to keep us entranced.)


At some point would like to see Steve Nash or Aaron put together a chronological dated picture series of the various elements of the pinfire action and barrels. . .from various makers. . .it would be historical.

re-reading that post, I realize I had a glass of Cote du Rhone too many. . .it's not meant to be insulting...just wanderingly inquisital and metaphysical wondering. Sorry if there is offense. One cannot think of UK from this side of the Atlantic without getting a - well - Robert Burns-like.